LUCAS, SWEETMAN, MURPHY

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 06:50:50 :

The Marin Journal
Thursday, March 15, 1900
page 7

JOHN LUCAS Passes Away
The Old Pioneer Dies at His Home at Bolinas

John Lucas, one of the oldest pioneers of Marin County, passed away at his home at Bolinas. March 7, 1900, after long sufferings from a general failure in health and a final failure of the heart. He was born in Barney of Ballaghkine, parish of Edermin, and the townland of Coolnaboy, county of Wexford, Ireland, March 2, 1826, and there received his education and resided until July, 1852, when he sailed for California, arriving in San Francisco Sept. 16th of that year, and on the next day came to this county and joined his uncle, the well known Don Timoteo Murphy, a land owner and early resident of Marin.

In 1853 Mr. Lucas returned to Ireland, but came back to California, arriving in San Francisco July 14, 1855, and coming to San Rafael, whence, after a few months, he moved to the ranch opposite the Miller place, where he resided until 1863, when he moved to his estate, consisting of 7,600 acres in the Rancho San Pedro, Santa Margarita Y Las Gallinas, which he had inherited from his uncle. He was married in 1855, to Maria Sweetman, to whom there were several children born. A short time ago Mr. Lucas moved to Bolinas where he passed his last days.

The funeral took place Saturday morning at 10:30. The body was escorted from Undertaker Eden's parlors to the Catholic Church where a solemn requiem mass was celebrated for the repose of his soul. A large company of the relatives, friends, and acquaintances of the deceased attended the services at the church and many followed his body to the Catholic Cemetery where it was laid to rest in the soil he had once owned and which he had so generously given to the Catholic Church as a burial ground.